Former Presidential Advisor on Health, Dr. Nsiah Asare, has cautioned the NDC government against any move to cancel Ghana’s medical drone delivery programme operated by Zipline.

Speaking in an interview on Oyerepa Breakfast Time with Kwesi Parker-Wilson, Dr. Asare described Zipline as a critical component of the country’s healthcare delivery system, especially for remote and hard-to-reach communities.

Zipline Ghana’s drone service was launched on April 24, 2019, by then–Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, in partnership with the Ghana Health Service.

The programme provides 24-hour delivery of essential medical commodities, including blood, vaccines, and emergency medicines, to health facilities across the country.

However, the new Minister of Health, Kwabena Mintah Akandoh, has raised concerns about the programme’s operations.

He recently stated that Zipline has “strayed from its core mandate,” alleging that drones are now being used to transport non-emergency items such as condoms and school textbooks instead of prioritising lifesaving medical supplies.

Dr. Nsiah Asare disagreed with suggestions that such concerns justify scrapping the programme. He stressed that any challenges with the current system should be addressed through improved regulation and oversight—not cancellation.

He further hinted that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) would reintroduce the Zipline service in full if it returns to power, describing it as one of the most transformative innovations in Ghana’s healthcare logistics.